Infant&#39;s shoe



Nov. 12, 1963 J. B. RUEBEL INFANTS SHOE Filed May 4, 1962 iinited States Patent O Mice 3,110,117 INFANS SHOE Joseph B. Ruebei, University City, Mo., assigner to Trimfoot Company, Farmington, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Filed May 4, 1962, Ser. No. 192,426 4 Claims. (Cl. 36-2.5)

The invention relates to infants high shoes comprising a sole and a form-sustaining, foot-fitting upper shaped over a last, as distinguished from a relatively shapeless bootee or similar footwear which does not provide shoelike t or protection to the foot. The objects of the invention are to facilitate the application of the shoe to the foot, to provide a smooth, continuous fore part underiying and cushioning the tie, which is self-adjusting to the shape of the foot and thereby provides la smooth tit over the top of Ithe instep and around the ankle of 'the user and provides the usual regular shoe-like appearance. These and other detailed objects are attained by so constructing the shoe that, when untied, it may be opened to form a substantially upright, continuous, sleeve structure into which an infants foot may he inserted without `bending the foot as usually is necessary when inserting 'an infants foot into ka conventional shoe having quarters laced directly to each other and overlying a separate tongue.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a top view of the shoe with the front part closed and the tie knotted.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view on line 2*-2 of FIG. l.

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the shoe.

FIG. 4 is `a rear elevation View of the shoe.

FIG. 5 is a top View and horizontal sectional view on line 5 5 of FlG. 6 and shows the shoe open.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view on line 6 6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a front view of the open shoe of FIGS. 5 and 6.

The shoe may be made with a conventional sole construction 11, either turned, cemented or stitched, the sole construction itself not ybeing of importance to the invention, which relates to the shoe upper. The upper of the shoe includes two L-shaped side pieces, each with a high quarter portion 14 and a relatively low vamp portion 15. The two side pieces are connected with upright seams 17, 18 at toe and heel respectively. The seam at the heel is covered with a reinforcing stay 21, stitched at 22 to the side pieces to contribute to a form-sustaining upper. A conventional counter mayor may not be used.

The front part of the shoe upper also includes `a onepiece unit 23 of relatively soft material the side edges of which Iare stitched at 24, 25 to the upper edges 15a of the low vamp portions of the side pieces `and to the forward edges 14a of the quarter portions of the side pieces and is provided with pairs of vertically spaced eyelets 27, 28, forwardly of but adjacent edges 14a of each quarter portion, and with other pairs of vertically spaced eyelets 29, 3G positioned between the first pair 4and the center line of the Ifront piece. A tie is provided which is laced through the eyelets 27 to `fort-n a central lower bight 31, then passes through eyelets 29, crosses the center line, to eyelets 30, forming diagonally crossed *bights 32, then through eyelets 2S, leaving the tie ends 33 outside the shoe.

When the ends 33 `of the tie are `drawn taut, the upper part of the front unit is contracted and forms a smooth pleat 34 on each side of its center line and the diameter of the sleeve is reduced until it ts smoothly about the top of the instep and ankle portions of the wearers foot.

l i@ i? Patented Nov. 12, 1963 When the tie is loosened, the front unit is expansible to the position shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 in which the quarters and the front yform a substantially upright sleeve approximately las wide fore and ait of the shoe as the length of the sole and the wearers foot and extending in a substantially straight line from the shoe toe to the top edge of the upper. This facilitates the insertion of the infants foot into the shoe without diiiiculty due -to the softness of the foot or without curling under of the toes as characterizes an attempt to insert an infants foot into a conventional shoe in which the vamp includes an extended horizontal top portion overlying the forward part of the wearers foot. In such shoes even the coniplete unlacing of the tie to free the tongue still leaves a horizontal part of the vamp extending rearwardly from the shoe toe for a substantial distance and under which the toes and forward portion of the iniants foot must be inserted. Frequently this insertion will result in the toes doubling under the foot and, if noticed, the foot must be withdrawn and a better insertion attempted.

It will be apparent from the `above description and the accompanying drawings that the objects stated in the introductory portion of the specication are attained and the sho-e may be applied :and removed with ease, comparable to use lof the common relatively :shapeless hootee, but when in use .the article will have genuine shoe-like characteristics affording shape retaining t without pressure on the foot.

It will be understood that the details `of the construction may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention `and the exclusive use `of those modifications coming within the scope of the claims is contempla-ted.

What is claimed is: 1. A shoe comprising a sole and an upper having toe and heel portions,

the upper including upright quarter portions having forwardly facing edges, spaced apart transversely of Ithe shoe, and a vamp with relatively low upright side portions having upwardly facing edges spaced apart `transversely of the shoe, 1

a central upper front part secured at its edges to said edges of the quarter portions and the vamp side portions substantially throughout the length of said edges,

and forming with said quarter portions, when unconned, a substantially upright open -top sleeve approximately as wide fore and aft of the shoe as the length of the wearers foot, said front part being foldable transversely of the shoe to tighten the shoe closely `about the wearers foot,

and a tie laced through and transversely of said front part only, 'and adapted when tightened to hold said front part folded transversely of lthe shoe.

2. A high shoe comprising a sole and upper,

the upper including two L-shaped units, each including a vamp side portion, with an upwardly facing edge, and a higher quarter portion with a forwardly facing edge,

the forward and rear extremities of said units being united by upright toe and heel seams respectively,

said edges of the two vamp portions and of fthe two I quarter portions being spaced apart transversely of the shoe,

the upper also including a front part having side edges connected to said upwardly and forwardly facing edges of the vamp and quarter portions respectively, said front part having transversely spaced apertures,

and a [tie passing through said apertures in said front part and, when tightened, folding said front part in pleats to contract the same against the wearers foot vand ankle,

the center of said front part when unfolded extending continuously upwardly land rearwardly from said toe seam to the top of the shoe.

3. An infants high shoe comprising a sole,

a form-sustaining upper including high quarters and Vamp sides, the latter being secured together at their forward ends to form the toe portion of said shoe,

a one-piece relatively soft central front part extending between said quarters and vamp sides respectively to form therewith a substantially upright sleeve having a front portion extending in a substantially straight line trom the toe pontion upwardly,

said front part being contractible by folding along substantially upright creases to fit against the instep portion of the wearers foot, i

and a tie for holding said central front part contracted.

4. An infants shoe comprising a part constituting form-sustaining high quarter portions and vamp side portions extending forwardly therefrom,

and a relatively soft one-piece front part extending between and secured at its edges to said quarter portions and vamp side portions respectively,

there being pairs of horizontally spaced upper and lower apertures at each side of the center line of said part,

and a tie with a centnal horizontal lower bight entending transversely of the shoe and through the lower `apertures in said front part adjacent -to the front edges of the quarter portions,

and with inclined higher bights crossed intermediate their lengths and passed through the 'lower apertures= near the center of said front part and through the adjacent upper apertures in said front part adjacent l.

to the front edges of the quarter portions,

the upper portion of said front part folding into smooth 'i pleats about -the iront of the instep `and ank-1e of the wearers foot when said bights are tightened.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS ull; 

1. A SHOE COMPRISING A SOLE AND AN UPPER HAVING TOE AND HEEL PORTIONS, THE UPPER INCLUDING UPRIGHT QUARTER PORTIONS HAVING FORWARDLY FACING EDGES, SPACED APART TRANSVERSELY OF THE SHOE, AND A VAMP WITH RELATIVELY LOW UPRIGHT SIDE PORTIONS HAVING UPWARDLY FACING EDGES SPACED APART TRANSVERSELY OF THE SHOE, A CENTRAL UPPER FRONT PART SECURED AT ITS EDGES TO SAID EDGES OF THE QUARTER PORTIONS AND THE VAMP SIDE PORTIONS SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH OF SAID EDGES, 